Melt This Frozen Heart
by WinterFrost15
Summary: Jack is bonding more and more with Lucy, but something seems determined to ruin their friendship. And the worst part is, it might actually succeed. (Santa Clause 3 AU, sequel to "Frost and Friendship" and "Cookies and Cocoa")
1. Part One: Heart of Ice?

**Part One**

**Heart of. . .Ice? **

Jack and Lucy descended into the reindeer stables just as the bell tower in the far distance struck half past two. They'd had a wonderful time exploring the Pole and its surrounding mountain-range, and now, despite having ridden upon Comet for the entire duration of that time, they both felt exhausted.

Comet landed with a soft _clomp, clomp _of his hooves against the cobblestones, trotting a little ways before finally halting. Jack slid off the reindeer gratefully (his thighs really hurt, almost as much if not worse as when he had ridden horses back at his condo) and planted his feet firmly upon the stone floor. He dusted himself off for a moment to make certain no shred reindeer hair had messed up his suit - then he took Lucy gently by the waist and helped her down off the magical creature's back.

"Thank you!" she giggled. "Gosh, wasn't that fun?"

Jack grinned. "It was extraordinary," he replied. "I'm just glad no one saw us. At least, I don't _think _they did."

"What would be wrong with that?" the little girl asked, eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"Well," Jack started, fiddling with his hands uncomfortably. "I'm not exactly supposed to be shirking from my duties like this. I'm _supposed_ to be helping your Uncle Scott around the workshop. . ."

"Oh." Lucy seemed slightly disappointed, as if this meant an end to their fun. Then she added, a bit hopefully, "But after you're done with everything, can we do more stuff together? Like make snow angels or snowmen?"

With a highly unusual show of compassion, Jack stroked the girl's cheek and smiled warmly. "Of course we can," he said softly. "I wouldn't throw away an opportunity like that for all the snowstorms in the world. And you know what? I'll have a talk with your Uncle Scott and see if I can't get off the hook a little early, m'kay?"

Lucy nodded excitedly. "Okay!" she said, wrapping her arms around him again. He patted her head, fully expecting her to let go after a moment. Instead, she held on tighter, burying her face in his jacket. That's when he felt a strange tingling sensation shoot through his chest, much stronger than before. He could feel it in his cheeks, too, bubbling beneath the surface of his skin.

But then Lucy suddenly released her hold on him and was gone, skipping away to chat with one of the off-duty elves that were beginning to drift through the nearby corridor. Jack just stood there, shivering, that tingling sensation lingering in his chest and face. There was a smile on his face, and this time it seemed just a bit more genuine than before.

"Awww," Comet cooed from where he sat in his stable, smiling around the fur and bits of hay covering his mouth.

But despite Jack's best efforts, he couldn't seem to find a snarky comment to counter the reindeer's response.

His. . .decidedly _not _icy heart. . .just wasn't in it.

**Hello again! THE JACK AND LUCY FLUFF HAS RETURNED, HAHA I TOLD YOU THIS DAY WOULD COME COMPADRES *commences with more evil-ish laughter* **

**So, anyway, for those of you who are unaware, this is a companion piece to two previous stories I wrote under this same wonderful category, _Frost and Friendship _and _Cookies and Cocoa. _This latest story shall be presented to you in parts, possibly three or four. Not quite sure at the moment. I'll just have to see how things go! **

**But just remember, those of you who follow me and my silly ramblings: MY MIND LLAMA NEEDS TO FEED, AND YOUR REVIEWS GIVE IT THE MOST WONDERFUL TREATS IN ALL THE MAGICAL LANDS! SO REVIEW UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SPAT ON BY HARVEY! (*Ahem* if you want to, that is. Don't let Harvey the Mind Llama influence you in any way if you don't want him too. . . O_o) **

**But seriously, if any of you have comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Thank you all in advance, from me AND Harvey. :3**


	2. Part Two: A Dark Change

**Part Two **

**A Dark Change**

Jack hurried out of the stables, inwardly cursing himself. He had come to the Pole to usurp Santa and take over Christmas! Not play best friend to some foolish child!

As Comet babbled out a kindly farewell, he clenched his fists, feeling the ice magic gather in his tense fingers. His face started flushing a light blue as he filled his cheeks with icy breath. Then he puckered his lips and expelled the waiting gusts, coating the hallway before him in a layer of ice.

Elves nearby scattered in alarm. Some slipped in their effort to escape the onslaught; others were held in pace by ice which had blasted its way onto their extremities. Others still were pinned to the walls, struggling against the powerful, unbreakable shackles of ice he had forged.

Jack grinned and laughed, a wicked glee filling his heart. "Take that, Kris Kringle!" he howled. "See what my power can do to your precious Pole!"

He burst out of the workshop shaking with demented joy. Once out in the snow, he called forth the wind to carry him high above the glowing bustle of Elfsburg. His cold, calculating turquoise eyes at once took in the flood of colors below - elves, streaming by; they were bright, bubbling, noisy things compared to him, swaying in the wintry light of the afternoon.

Jack then looked himself over, shaking his head in distaste at the pinstripes he had always adored. "Too formal," he decided. He snapped his fingers, and promptly changed into a dark blue hoodie covered in ice crystals, with a pair of form-fitting brown pants tied down just below the calves. He also magicked away his shoes, revealing bare feet. He was impervious to the effects of cold, so there was no danger of getting frostbite. He then coalesced his powers into the form of a curved shepherd's staff. This would channel his powers into short bursts or concentrate his ice more fully, allowing for greater damage.

Satisfied with his new attire, Jack swept his staff through the air, willing the wind to pull him in the direction where he pointed. Obeying, the winds blew him along, and he soared purposefully toward the town square.

* * *

Lucy emerged onto the main floor of the workshop, where elves were working on last minute projects. After a brief search she found her parents, Neil and Laura Miller. Her dad was busy painting a toy train. Her mom sat next to him, brushing the hair of a doll. Happily, Lucy skipped over to them.

"Hey, Mom! Hey, Dad!" Lucy chirped.

The pair of them looked up in surprise.

"Lucy!" Neil cried, setting down his train and hugging her.

"Honey, where have you been?" Laura asked, also hugging her daughter.

"With Jack Frost!" Lucy replied with a smile. "You know, the Legendary Figure who makes snow? He was showing me around the North Pole, and even gave me this!"

She reached into a knapsack provided to her by one of the elves and pulled out Jack's special snowball.

"That's beautiful, Lucy," Laura said, taking the snowball and examining it. "And it even glows too! Was this made from actual snow?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I saw him make it. He's real nice, Mom. He feels kinda cold at first, but I gave him plenty of warm hugs and they seem to help!"

"Is Mr. Frost the one with the spiky hair and suit we met earlier?" Laura asked, handing the snowball to Neil while looking back at Lucy.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah!" she said. "And guess what? He has a whole family! He said he was having some problems with them, so I did what you do, Dad. I talked to him about it until he seemed better and found a way to solve his problems."

Neil nodded in approval, giving her back the snowball. "That's great, Lucy," he praised. "Maybe you could become a psychiatrist someday."

Lucy grinned. "Yeah, like, maybe I could come up here sometimes and talk with the elves," she suggested. "Anyway, I'd better go see if Mr. Frost or Uncle Scott need my help with something. Mr. Frost said he was helping around, so maybe I could lend him a hand."

"Okay, sweetheart," Laura said. She leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't go to far, alright?"

"Yes, Mom."

Neil embraced his daughter. "Just remember, Lucy," he said. "If Mr. Frost ever gets stressed, ask him to take a feelings inventory and assess the problem."

Lucy nodded. "Of course, Dad!" she promised. Then with a cheerful wave and goodbye, she skipped away.

* * *

Jack cackled insanely, blasting everything in sight with frosty flurries from his icy staff. Buildings, toys, elves - anything that stood in his way. By the time he finished the town square looked like a small mountain range of ice, elves and frostbite. And it was beautiful.

_Yes, yes! _a voice within him cried out. _Such beautiful chaos! Such wondrous havoc! See, Jack, you've done it. . .you've crushed the dreams of Santa's empire! Now all that remains is to attack the heart. . ._

Jack's hungry eyes turned towards the workshop, mere feet away. Dropping to the snowy pavement below, he made his way to the double stained glass doors that served as the entrance. _Time to show that jolly imbecile what the_ true_ meaning of Christmas is. . . _

**See? I didn't forget about this! :3 **

**I loved writing TSC 3 Jack's attire transforming into that of RotG Jack's. Just seemed like an interesting concept! (I do not own RotG by the way)**

**Comments are cool, homies. Suggestions for what happens next would be rad too. :3 **


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